If I Told You I Love You
by Golden Fruit
Summary: A scream in the distance... or was it right next to me? A growl errupted out of my throat... or was it my opponents? I wasn't one hundred percent positive, just like everything else. Formerly The Problem With Loving You.
1. Preface

**Preface**

Screams. Blood. Growls. Agony... Love. These were the random things that made up my life. I thought maybe, just maybe, this would be an easy, normal task. Maybe it would be possible to go through one thing where I didn't need to be hurt.

I had gone from place to place. Doing what I do was easy. It was always the same... going for the kill. Time after time, day after day. But the worst thing happened the day I met the Cullens...

I wish I hadn't. I wish I didn't need to bring them into this. When I got there, I made the worst mistake I ever could. I should have avoided it... I could have avoided it.

But being what I am, that is anything but easy.


	2. RUNNING

**Chapter One**

**Running**

_I ran as fast as I ever had before. _"Ariana!" I screamed out into the night. Where was she? Was she okay? Oh, please, lord, let her be alright.

The moon created an eerie glow over the forest. The air was moist and foggy from the constant rain. My sneakers were soaked with mud from running, running as fast as my inhuman speed could take me. Yet I still couldn't find her. The scent was there. In fact, it was everywhere, mixed in with the thousands of other scents of the woods. But her exact path, I couldn't find. "Ariana!" I called again. My only reply was the ghostly echo of my own voice, ringing out through the vast area. It was loud yet sorrowful. I felt a sob rack my body as I fell to my knees, my jeans now being added to the destroyed clothing.

"Ariana," I whispered, a tearless sob escaping as I whimpered her name again helplessly. She had to be alright... she had to be... didn't she?

My question was answered when a terrifying, yet painfully familiar, shriek rang out around me. It was coming from straight ahead. "No..." I breathed. And then I was off again.

Brush and bristle scrapped against my granite skin as the scenery rushed by. My feet led the way, letting themselves step into the right path. The clock inside my head was ticking down how long I had. I was going faster than any human eye could see, yet still not fast enough. I had to be getting close, for ahead an area of brighter light shone through the crevice between two tall trees. I ran through the crack, it was just large enough for me to fit through, and then stopped immediately.

I was on the edge of a cliff. A high cliff that was spread out over a large body of water... it was a long way down. Waves below crashed against rocks vigorously... sharp rocks. It was too risky... but it was for Ariana. The path of her scent led straight down. I gulped. The decision was made. I had to jump.

My eyes closed as I took one step forward, letting one foot dangle precariously over the ledge until I took the next step. Then I was falling. Fast and hard.

I kept my eyes squeezed shut as tight as they could go, but they were still not tight enough. My mind kept getting flashes of those rigid rocks, those rough waves that were merely feet below me. I continued to see these images until my body was hit with tons of cold water.

I opened my eyes. It was all dark. I couldn't tell what direction was up, or what was down. I still wasn't breathing, not that I had to. But my nose was becoming irritated from the lack of smell. I did a complete three sixty turn underwater, still nothing. What happened to her?

Then I smelt it. Her scent. It was coming from above. Without thinking, I kicked aggressively towards what I hoped to be the surface. It didn't take long before my soaked head was out of the water and I was able to take a deep breath. That was when I noticed.

It was all around me. Hundreds of it, drenched in her scent. _Ash_. A sign of a dead vampire. But that would mean... no! No! No not her!

I was about to scream out when something grabbed me from behind and pulled me back under.

The last coherent thought I had before I fell into the darkness was her name.


	3. FOUND

**Chapter Two**

**Found**

**I wiped off my blood coated lips as I pulled my sharp teeth out of the dead mountain lion. **_Edward_, Carlisle called to me from his head, _if your ready we're all finished feeding__**.**_Within the next moment I was running through the woods, letting the wind mess up my bronze hair.

I was the fastest runner in my family, and I loved it. It was one of the only things I could beat them in. Running was the only time I didn't feel like a heartless monster, which I was. But knowing that I didn't have to take human life helped ease some of that pain.

I reached the Jeep and slid in, Rosalie was the passenger seat next to Emmett. Alice and Jasper piled into the car , sitting in the back next to me. Their clothes, as were mine, were covered in blood from hunting. It was late at night, so humans wouldn't see us.

Emmett pulled his Jeep down the gravel path that led to the main road, Carlisle followed right behind. He was only going at 80 on the dirt road, extremely slow to me. Once we reached the normal road, Emmett immediately gassed to 120 and that felt more normal.

We drove down the road briskly, the moon glowing high above us and illuminating our path. Mostly the ride was silent, except for the quiet hum of the radio and the thoughts of my family that filled my head. That is, until we passed a small beach and a cliff next to it.

"Stop the car!" Alice screamed, and Emmett hit the break immediately causing the car to swerve. Behind us, Carlisle stopped abruptly too. Once the car had come to a complete halt, Alice unlocked her door and jumped out, speeding down towards the water line with Jasper following right behind her.

Emmett stopped the car and the rest of us retreated after them, Carlisle slamming the door to his Mercedes shut as he asked, "What is it Alice?"

"Look!" she called back from the shore line, pointing to a figure floating in the water. We all rushed down to where he was standing to get a better view of what the figure was. And that's when we realized it was a girl.

Her hair was a dark brown and long, floating calmly on the water. She was pale, pale like we were, and she was beautiful. Her red lips were full and stood out against her snow white skin. Her face was heart shaped and her skin looked so smooth I longed to run my fingers along it. Underneath her eyes were the familiar dark circles, but it made her complection even more astounding. Her legs where long and perfect and fit well with her small frame. All in all, she was the most gorgeous thing I have ever laid my eyes on.

"Help me get her out of the water," Jasper instructed to Carlisle, who nodded and then waded into the water. The water came up to his forearms where the girl floated, and he and Jasper lifted her out of the water, Carlisle taking her head and back and Jasper holding her legs. Her long, pale, slender legs... stop it Edward!

Carlisle laid her down on the ground and we all surrounded her, Carlisle knelt at her head and examined her scalp carefully. "She's alright," he clarified, "just unconscious... somehow."

_Edward_, Alice thought to me, _this is the girl I've been having visions about_. My head snapped to look at Alice, eyes widening slightly. She gave me a slight nod to confirm this fact and my lips pressed together in a grim line as I stared at the girl again.

In the past few weeks, Alice had been getting strange visions about a girl with brown hair and who was staying at our house in the visions. It all made sense now and it was inevitable that this was the girl. And as Alice told us, the girl who was going to change our lives. We just didn't know how yet.

"Come on," Carlisle said, "let's take her back to the house." He lifted her up into his arms and started to carry her back the Mercedes. We all began to retreat back to our respected cars, but as I walked away I peered on last time over my shoulder before turning my back on the small beach, towards my future.

My long, suffering future.


	4. GIRL

**Chapter 3**

**GIRL**

_It was dark, to say the least_. I felt an enormous pressure on my head, a pressure that stopped me from opening my eyes and letting light fill this dismal place. I wanted to eyes to work like a window, like they could open up and let light and brilliancy pour into the world. But my head was aching, my legs throbbing, and my throat felt so clogged I couldn't speak. What was happening to me?

And then, in the midst of it all, water started to drip. _Drip. Drip. Drip_. It was driving me mad as it echoed all around my ears, taunting me, _daring_ me, to open my eyes. I tried. I tried all I could to get out of this place, but I couldn't. I was trapped here, with the dripping water and the darkness. So much darkness...

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

Ugh. Let me out! My mind screamed, but I couldn't even hear myself think. The dripping water was going straight to my head and blocking out all other sounds. Please, let it stop! But it wouldn't. The unseen drops kept plopping down onto the damp ground and cursing me. Please, I begged, let me out of here.

It was an angel's voice I heard next. "Where do you want me to put her, Carlisle?"

The voice was like velvet, soft and musical. It captured me and flooded my mind, erasing the obnoxious dripping and igniting a small light in the distance. It was a small amount, but it was enough that my mind could subconsciously make it through the black abyss. I saw that the light was a candle, a small red candle. Red... like the color of blood. That voice came back to me again.

"Do you see anything Alice?"

It was more concerned this time, and farther away than before. Yet it still made my heart clench. Whatever I was here for, he would be the one to get me out. There was more conversation going on, but I couldn't make out specifics. My attention went back to the candle.

I stared at it for a few moments, just stared. And then I ran my fingers over its waxy surface. It started to melt. It melted down to a pool of muck at my feet, and then it became warm and thick. Rich and it stuck to me. It was blood. It was _her _blood.

A gush of air left me as my eyes were finally able to pry open. My hand went to my heart as I breathed heavily. I wasn't even aware at first that seven pairs of liquid gold eyes were staring at me. It was then I took in my surroundings.

I was in a living room. It was mostly white and I was lying on the white couch. I pushed myself up into a sitting position. My back ached, though I couldn't remember why.

"Where am I?" I asked someone, anyone who could answer the millions of questions forming in my head.

"You're in our home," said a blonde, he was tall and the oldest looking male out of all of them. He looked very professional, and a motherly looking lady with caramel colored hair sat on the arm of his chair. He got up off the chair and walked towards me, extending his hand in greeting, "I'm Carlisle Cullen. This is my family, Rosalie-" He pointed towards a very beautiful blonde, "Jasper-" he was also blonde, but younger looking than Carlisle with shades of brown in his hair, "Emmett-" he was burly with curly brown hair and a huge frame, "Alice-" she was quite the opposite of Emmett, she looked small and rather frisky. Her hair was short and black, the tips came into spikes. "My wife, Esme-" he pointed towards the lady on the armrest, "and Edward."

It was Edward who astounded me the most. He had the most handsome looks I'd ever seen. His bronze hair was unkept and one lock hung on his forehead. His cheekbones were angular, and he was less burly than Emmett but still very muscular. But his eyes... oh those golden eyes. They dazzled me senseless when I first stared into them, they were so marvelous.

Carlisle interrupted my thoughts. "And who might you be?"

I smiled wistfully. "My name is Isabella Marie Swan," I told them, "but you, may call me Bella."


	5. ISABELLA MARIE SWAN

**Chapter 4**

**ISABELLA MARIE SWAN**

**Bella hypnotized me. **I'm not sure if it was her smile, the way her hair shined in the light, or if it was the way her topaz eyes sparkled. Either way, I was completely entranced by her presence. But the part that attracted me towards her the most was that I couldn't read her mind.

These were the thoughts of my family as they all stared at Bella.

_Wow, she's pretty_. Rosalie.

_I wonder how she was able to be unconscious... _Carlisle.

_She seems like a sweet girl, Edward. Don't think I didn't see the way you looked at her_. Esme.

_Bella looks like she needs a wardrobe change. Jeans and a T-Shirt? I don't think so. _Alice.

_Her emotions are going haywire! _Jasper.

_Damn. _Emmett.

"Bella, do you remember anything that has happened in the last 24 hours?" Bella's face scrunched up in concentration. She looked so adorable.

"I think..." Then a flicker of recollection came across her face. Her eyes lost some of their bright golden color and a feeling of sorrow washed over us from Jasper's power. Bella nodded sadly. "Yes, I remember."

I knew Carlisle well enough to know that he wouldn't ask what happened to make her feel so depressed, out of respect. But his thoughts were swarming with wonder on her strange ability to become unconscious. "Would you happen to know how you were able to lose consciousness? It's not everyday I met a vampire who is able to do so," Carlisle questioned.

Bella pursed her lips in thought and then said, "I think... it has to do with my power. I can assure you that this is not the first time that this has happened." Carlisle raised his blonde eyebrows, egging her to continue.

"I have two powers really. The first one is the power to relive the past and to foresee the future. In other words, I can close my eyes and see things that have already happened or see things that are to come, no matter how far ahead or how far back they are." Shock. That probably sums up the atmosphere of the room. Bella was staring at the floor, embarrassed. Carlisle was staring at Bella in awe of her power. It was truly magnificent. "But the thing is that when I go and look ahead in time or back in time Iose contact with the present. I, quite literally, blank out. I guess this time when I was feeling so much emotion and stress the connection to my power and my body made me go pass just having a blank moment to completely passing out. I'm not entirely sure yet."

"Bella," Carlisle whispered in an amazed voice, "This power you have is absolutely incredible." Bella smiled thankfully.

"I am quite fond of my power," she admitted, "it has helped me avoid certain... quarrels I have not wanted to get into."

"What's your other power?" Alice asked. Bella looked taken aback.

"Excuse me?" she responded, staring at Alice intently.

"You said you have two powers," Alice explained further, "what is the other one?"

Bella sighed and started emotionlessly out the window. "I cannot smell human blood."

My eyes went wide as I watched her intently. I heard Esme gasp underneath her breath. "You can't smell it? At all?" Jasper inquired, the smallest hint of jealously lurked in his tone.

She shook her head, still gazing out the window. The moon was disappearing from view behind the trees. "I can still drink it, it will still taste the same," she told us. "But since when I was human I fainted at the scent of blood, I cannot smell it now."

Alice and Rosalie exchanged an awed glance. I felt great admiration swell inside my heart. She was such a magnificent creature...

"Well, Bella," Carlisle said, breaking the momentary silence, "I must say you are the most strange vampire I have ever heard of." Bella smiled mysteriously, her eyes becoming a shade lighter. They were just as beautiful as before.

The sky was becoming a light pink now. Bella looked out the window for a moment before sighing. "I guess I must be going. I would hate to over stay my welcome." She made a move to get up before Alice stopped her.

"Wait!"


	6. THE CULLENS

**Author's Note: **_I know it's been the longest time since I updated, but I've been busy outlining this story and such that I really haven't gotten around to updating it. Do not worry though, I shall be updating more frequently. I'm afraid after this update I won't be able to update again for another week because of camp, but I will try my hardest to get a few chapters up ASAP after that. Enjoy the chapter._

**Chapter 5**

**THE CULLENS**

_I never really had a proper family. _Sure, I had Ariana and a few others along my way. But up until now, the word family was pretty foreign to me. But the Cullens... they were the true meaning of family. I was truly fond of them. And it amazed me to no end how they acted more like a family then an actual coven. I found it quite intriguing. But what Alice did next shocked me to no end.

After calling after me she turned to Esme, no doubt the mother figure in this family. "Esme, can't Bella stay with us?"

I immediately protested. "Oh, no, no, I wouldn't want to intrude!"

Esme merely smiled politely. "You wouldn't be an intrusion to us dear," in a flat second she was next to me, "I would love to have you stay."

I bit my lip. "If I'm welcome... then I guess I could stay for a while." Esme's smile widened. The others smiled too. I gave a weak one.

"YAY!!" Alice exclaimed, jumping up and down. "Come on! I'll show you to your room!" The next thing I knew Alice was dragging me up the stairs. We reached the third floor and she escorted me to a door to the right. "This can be your room." She opened the door and revealed the amazement that was to become my home.

It was a large room, with cream colored walls till about three-fourths the way down and then it was brown. A large white couch sat in the center with brown pillows; on the wall hanging in front of it was a flat screen TV with a coffee table below it.. On the other side of the room was a desk that had a computer on it and a desk lamp. But the wall I faced when I first entered the room amazed me the most. There were four large bookcases, just waiting to be filled. I approached them and ran my fingers over the smooth wood, which felt like velvet underneath my fingers. Immediately, I couldn't wait to fill the shelves with books.

I gazed around the room and noticed a set of double doors. I walked over and opened them. A light immediately came on and revealed a carpeted room. In one corner, was a vanity, an _actual _vanity, with a floor length mirror set up next to it. The rest of the room had racks with tons of hangers lining it's area, with shelves above it. I doubted I would ever fill this entire thing.

I left the closet, shutting the white double doors behind me and walked back into my room. Looking to the wall to my right, I saw another door. Entering through it, I smiled. It was my bathroom, my own overly large bathroom.

It was complete with a Jacuzzi tub and a shower that looked like it could of held about five people. The marble counter tops had two sinks on them, as if one wasn't enough, and the rest of it was lined with endless options of shampoo. I smirked, satisfied, and went back into my bedroom.

"You like it?" Alice asked excitedly, bouncing in place. I laughed lightly and nodded my approval. She squealed, clapping her hands together and wrapped her tiny arms around me in a hug. I froze in shock at first then returned the embrace, patting her back.

"Thanks, Alice," I said when she let go, beaming at me.

"Not a problem at all," she assured, practically dancing back to the door, "I'll let you get settled and tell Carlisle to sign you up for school with us." I grinned at the thought of going to school with them, especially that Edward. He was definitely an intriguing one.

I laid back on my couch and sighed at home comfortable it was. I let myself calm and wash away all the emotions of this morning...

_Crash!_

Ya, that didn't last long. I peered over the edge of the couch and went wide-eyed when I saw that the beautiful glass doors, leading out to a balcony, were now shattered. Following the line of the shattered glass, I saw a baseball had hit my TV screen. My eyes, if possible, went even wider.

The door to my room and in came a distressed looking Emmett with a baseball cap on. He looked at the TV screen, then the glass, then at me; I was now sitting with my arms crossed giving him a questioning glance. He returned it with a sheepish grin. "Sorry, Bella," he apologized, looking up at my from under his eyelashes.

I laughed and shook my head, silently waving it off. "EMMETT McCARTY CULLEN!" Esme screamed from downstairs. I heard everyone else laugh from all around the house and couldn't help but laugh too. Emmett's looked as if he has just seen a ghost.

It was at that moment I could tell I was going to like it here.


End file.
